JAMES THOMSON.—­The first distinguished writer of this school was Thomson, the son of a Scottish minister.  He was born on the 11th of September, 1700, at Ednam in Roxburghshire.  While a boy at school in Jedburgh, he displayed poetical talent:  at the University of Edinburgh he completed his scholastic course, and studied divinity; which, however, he did not pursue as a profession.  Being left, by his father’s death, without means, he resolved to go to the great metropolis to try his fortunes.  He arrived in London in sorry plight, without money, and with ragged shoes; but through the assistance of some persons of station, he procured occupation as tutor to a lord’s son, and thus earned a livelihood until the publication of his first poem in 1726.  That poem was Winter, the first of the series called The Seasons:  it was received with unusual favor.  The first edition was speedily exhausted, and with the publication of the second, his position as a poet was assured.  In 1727 he produced the second poem of the series, Summer, and, with it, a proposal for issuing the Four Seasons, with a Hymn on their succession.  In 1728 his Spring appeared, and in the next year an unsuccessful tragedy called Sophonisba, which owed its immediate failure to the laughter occasioned by the line,

    O Sophonisba, Sophonisba O!

This was parodied by some wag in these words: 

    O Jemmie Thomson, Jemmie Thomson O!

and the ridicule was so potent that the play was ruined.

The last of the seasons, Autumn, and the Hymn, were first printed in a complete edition of The Seasons, in 1730.  It was at once conceded that he had gratified the cravings of the day, In producing a real and beautiful English pastoral.  The reputation which he thus gained caused him to be selected as the mentor and companion of the son of Sir Charles Talbot in a tour through France and Italy in 1730 and 1731.

In 1734 he published the first part of a poem called Liberty, the conclusion of which appeared in 1736.  It is designed to trace the progress of Liberty through Italy, Greece, and Rome, down to her excellent establishment in Great Britain, and was dedicated to Frederick, Prince of Wales.

His tragedies Agamemnon and Edward and Eleanora are in the then prevailing taste.  They were issued in 1738-39.  The latter is of political significance, in that Edward was like Frederick the Prince of Wales—­heir apparent to the crown; and some of the passages are designed to strengthen the prince in the favor of the people.